Association Q&A: Non-Dues Revenues

Should our association require advertisers to be association members?

The idea of requiring advertisers to be members is built on sound principles. After all, companies that are targeting your association members could greatly benefit from the additional benefits of membership, especially in-person networking. And, of course, additional members are almost always good for the association. However, the requirement of membership for advertising in your […]

How can we increase our association sponsorship revenues?

There are many possible ways to increase your sponsorship revenues, but this answer will confine itself to the simplest, most likely-to-be-successful answer. That answer is this: ask for even more from your current sponsors. That might sound counterintuitive. You might think they are at their limits. Or you might fear that you’ll burn them out […]

Should our association ever turn down a non-dues revenue source?

This is probably a more appropriate question for your association’s board of directors to answer. But here are a few thoughts to consider in case you are involved in that conversation: – If the non-dues revenue source is directly at odds with the association’s mission, that is a clear indication you should walk away from […]

How do we sell advertising on our association web site?

There are several possible strategies for selling advertising on your association’s web site. However, the one that seems to work best is “just don’t do it.” That sounds like odd advice, but what it means is that many associations have found it easier to obtain advertising revenues not by selling advertising specifically for their web […]

How should our association set advertising and sponsorship rates?

Setting your rates for advertising in and/or sponsoring your association’s publications or events can be difficult. However, there are a few steps that will get you close to the ideal pricing – Start by benchmarking your association’s publications, events and other potential advertising/sponsorship vehicles against those that have the same target audience. This is important […]